Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 107

The Allied Forces of the Celestial and Immortal Realms

No matter how plausible the justification, war is merely a clash of desires; it can be nothing more. It is the act of those who seek to take and those who seek to defend, attempting to enforce their clear differences through the ultimate means of violence. This is war.

To argue about right and wrong here is not particularly helpful.

The Demon Realm, possessing superior power, found itself in the position of aggressor. Had the circumstances been reversed, the situation might have unfolded differently.

The Demon Realm’s goal is to dominate the Spirit Realm.

To borrow Lucifer’s grand ambition, it is to liberate the spirits from the eternal shackles of God. If they were to submit willingly, there would be no need to resort to war. However, the spirits’ view differs.

The Demon Realm is a group of heretics that cannot be reconciled, and none of their arguments are acceptable.

‘We would rather perish than be ruled.’ Their will was firm.

The elites carefully selected from the 33 Heavens of the Celestial Realm and the powerful warriors representing the Immortal Realm gathered in one place.

No one going into battle anticipates defeat. Their hearts pounded not only with the will to defeat the enemies before them but also with the burden that ‘if we fall, the fate of the Spirit Realm is sealed.’

The leaders of the Celestial and Immortal Realms were positioned at the very rear of the formation. Around them, soldiers of the newly formed command were maintaining strict vigilance.

Great Celestial Lord, Jeseok, spoke to the Supreme Old Lord.

“Their power seems truly formidable. Even though the main force of the Infinite Realm is absent, our combined strength seems rather meager…” The Old Lord nodded with a somber expression.

“That may be so… but we are not to be underestimated either. There is no need to be discouraged already. I do not believe the Immortal Realm’s captains are weaker than the Asuras [powerful demons] of the Demon Realm.” The Old Lord’s words contained an undisguised trust and pride in the captains, the main force of the Immortal Realm. Jeseok’s gaze briefly shifted towards the Old Lord before returning to the front.

Jeseok questioned Yama Celestial Lord, who stood beside him.

“Who is leading the vanguard?” Yama Celestial Lord carefully opened his mouth with an extremely respectful attitude.

“I believe it is the captains led by Ji-seon of the Eight Immortals of the Immortal Realm and the 4th Division of the Celestial Kings from our realm.” The Celestial Kings Division was an organization hastily formed before the departure. Nevertheless, they possessed a strong force, worthy of being called the pride of the Celestial Realm.

The Celestial Kings Division, with the addition of the generals from the 33 Heavens to the existing Four Heavenly Kings Division, was the core force of the Celestial Realm. Moreover, they were equipped with the treasures held by the Tushita Heaven [one of the six heavens of the Desire Realm in Buddhist cosmology], so what more could be said!

The Celestial Kings Division consisted of 400 members in 4 divisions, named the Dhritarashtra Division, the Virudhaka Division, the Virupaksha Division, and the Vaishravana Division. Among them, the Vaishravana Division led the vanguard, while the Virudhaka and Virupaksha Divisions were responsible for the front and rear of the envoy, and the Dhritarashtra Division was responsible for the front of the command.

In contrast, the Immortal Realm had divided the captains and immortals led by the Eight Immortals into 8 unit groups. Two units were placed in the front in a vertical formation, while the remaining units were arranged horizontally with some distance between them.

“What about the Demon Realm’s vanguard?” At Jeseok’s continued questioning, Yama Celestial Lord hastily replied.

“It is believed to be the subordinates of Great Demon Bali.” “Not the Great Demon himself, but his subordinates?” The Old Lord chuckled and muttered in a low voice.

“Just from that… we can see how much the Demon Realm looks down on our power.” The leaders of the Spirit Realm alliance were silent for a while, forgetting their worries.

The lined-up generals and captains also kept their mouths firmly shut.

The war was just about to begin. No one could predict the outcome. It was unreasonable to determine victory or defeat based solely on objective power differences.

Since the Demon Realm and the Spirit Realm had never fought a large-scale war, they did not have objective grounds to assess each other’s power.

Through the battle between the two vanguard units, they would be able to gauge their power to some extent.

Meanwhile, the 7th Division, under Bali’s command, surged towards the enemy lines with great momentum.

They showed not a single trace of fear or hesitation. Their eyes gleamed with a feral hunger, like those of a beast.

There were eyes watching them from afar, calmly and steadily.

These were the 100 members of the Vaishravana Division, about 50 captains, and nearly 500 immortals. Vaishravana, standing tall at the very front, and Ji-seon carefully observed the Asuras and Rakshasas [a type of demon], who numbered over a thousand.

Vaishravana, with a relaxed tone, proposed to Ji-seon, who seemed somewhat stiff.

“I, Vaishravana, will handle them alone. It might also help boost our side’s morale…” Ji-seon, staring intently at the front, said urgently.

“If that is your intention, you should deploy quickly…” Ji-seon’s attitude was due to the fact that the enemies’ figures were now clearly visible in their field of vision.

Unlike Ji-seon, Vaishravana was calm, almost to the point of being nonchalant.

He had unwavering faith in the hundred members of the Celestial Kings Division behind him. He felt that with them, he could return alive even if dropped deep into the enemy lines of the Demon Realm. His hand slowly rose towards the sky, followed by a powerful command.

“Do not let a single one of them survive.” “Waaah!” The fierce roar of the Celestial Kings Division, as if to collapse the sky, was the beginning. They flew at high speed towards the front to meet the enemies. Maintaining a formation like an eagle spreading its wings, they encountered the enemy.

However, a strange situation unfolded. The members on the outer edges of the wings were passing through the enemy lines, not to block the left, right, sky, or rear?

They moved without hesitation, as if they had trained for this situation in advance. Ji-seon, watching from behind, tilted his head.

‘They are so overconfident that they are making such a mistake…’ It seemed reckless to surround a large number with a small force.

‘Moreover, now is the time to explore their power, but if they cut off their retreat, the resistance will become fierce, and it could lead to irreversible losses.’ Ji-seon secretly began to issue orders to his subordinates. He wanted to prepare them to move immediately if the Vaishravana Division was in danger.

The Asuras and Rakshasas, who had expected a loud clash, were momentarily taken aback and looked around, bewildered.

It was precisely that brief moment that led to their encirclement, and the Asuras and Rakshasas were dumbfounded. But soon, a look of ridicule appeared in their eyes. What were they going to do by surrounding them? That was the meaning of their mockery.

“Wipe them all out.” As the order of the 7th Division’s high-ranking Asura was given, the hesitant Asuras and Rakshasas began to move again. It was called an encirclement, but the gaps between the Celestial Kings Division members were too wide to give that impression.

The first clash was in the air.

The Celestial Kings Division was surrounding the enemy in a shape that resembled a hemisphere from the ground. The Asuras and Rakshasas poured out their magic without hesitation and leaped upwards.

Swoosh, shushushushu. The various forms of magic combined were so powerful that they seemed ready to tear the Celestial Kings Division members to shreds. At that moment, the Celestial Kings Division members each held a strange-looking staff, which stretched out and joined together.

And then, the joined staffs completed a true hemisphere. The hemisphere, with the combined staffs forming its skeleton, emitted a faint glow and filled the surrounding void.

The Asuras and Rakshasas, who were attacking, sensed that something was going strangely. An inexplicable unease began to surface. However, they could not stop the power they were unleashing.

As if to shake off their unease, they poured out their power even more forcefully. The unprecedented force unleashed by 500 beings surged powerfully in all directions.

The Celestial Kings Division members carefully took their positions about two lengths away from the hemisphere they had set up. It seemed as if they were waiting for the power unleashed by the demons to reach the hemisphere.

The lower-ranking demons, the Rakshasas and the demons, not to mention the higher-ranking demons, the Asuras, had never seen anything like the hemisphere blocking their path, nor did they think it would have any effect. The Asuras who made up the command of the 7th Division dismissed the unease rising from within as a needless worry.

It was the moment when the magic of the demons and demons touched the hemisphere. Psssh.

The powers vanished as if water was seeping into a sandy desert.

It was when the dumbfounded demons had not yet recovered their senses. The power drawn inside collided with each other in all directions, centered on the staffs forming the hemisphere, and was released without any reduction.

“Th-th-that…” “U-u-uh…” It was natural for the demons to widen their eyes. It was an extremely natural reaction to be astonished as the power they had unleashed was returning to them.

“B-b-block it.” One of the Asuras shouted urgently and unleashed his power again. This time, they had to give their all to counter their own attack.

“Kwa kwa kwa kwang!” “Puh puh puh puk!” Some of the demons swept away by the aftermath of the power were torn to pieces, while most of them barely managed to avoid fatal blows and were catching their breath.

They, too, had lost their composure. They could not rashly leap upwards. The demons who had been floating in the air a moment ago had mainly suffered the disaster.

They had to receive the bidirectional force with their whole bodies while floating in the air, so perhaps there was no other way.

While the demons were taking a breather, a strange reaction surprised everyone once again.

“Uh, uh, uh…”

The Rakshasa could not say anything in the end. The surprise had frozen his tongue. The aftermath of the clash a moment ago had been absorbed by the hemisphere again, and that power was about to return.

At the same time, the power of the Celestial Kings Division members was also absorbed into the hemisphere. It was a strange thing. It was repelling the demons’ magic while allowing the power of the Celestial Kings Division members to pass through.

The bewildered demons began to panic.

Fyu shoo. The power pouring down on them was like a fiery thunderbolt falling from the sky.

It would be a lie to say that they thought it was beautiful. Faced with the crisis of their lives, they struggled to survive.

“Uwaaaah!” Knowing it was futile, the demons and demons did their best to survive. Their eyes wide open and their lips tightly shut, their faces were filled with the shadow of inevitable death.

Kwa kwang! Puh puh puh puk! The ground was torn and overturned. Amidst the thick dust, severed limbs were scattered haphazardly, and there were demons who had been reduced to dust without even leaving a corpse.

The result was too anticlimactic for the first clash between the vanguard units.

The annihilation of the 7th Division, consisting of thousands of demons and demons under Bali’s command! Faced with an unexpected result that no one had anticipated, the atmosphere in both camps shifted.

Bali, who had watched this scene from afar, could not contain his rage, which had risen to the top of his head, and was shouting.

“Slaughter them all. Do not leave a single one alive. Go, go now!” The Asuras, Rakshasas, and demons, who had been momentarily stunned by the absurd deaths of their comrades, only came to their senses after hearing Bali’s shouts. The scene they had witnessed a moment ago kept flashing before their eyes. They had to struggle to erase the ominous premonition. The remaining 9 divisions, with a force of 9,000, were slowly approaching, having reorganized their ranks unlike before.

The war between the Demon Realm and the Spirit Realm alliance was now rapidly heading towards a full-scale battle.

The forces of the Infinite Realm stationed in Meso Harun and the alliance of Adon and the Adversary were maintaining a tense standoff.

The unexpected fact that Abaddon was delaying his attack puzzled the leaders of the Infinite Realm. Why were they not attacking?

It was an unsolvable question that could not be diagnosed or predicted, and there were opinions that the basic strategy might have to be drastically revised. It was pointed out that there might be an unexpected variable lurking. They had to figure out the opponent’s intentions first. For this reason, the Infinite Realm was becoming increasingly anxious.

Romero sighed. He had analyzed the current situation and repeatedly argued that it was not particularly dangerous, persuading those present, but to no avail. What they needed now was a delay in time. From their point of view, the current situation, where Abaddon was delaying his attack, was something to be welcomed with open arms, and there was no reason for them to be impatient first.

Despite Romero’s persistent persuasion, Capo abruptly stood up and pointed out a part that he had been suspicious of.

“Since we have to fight them anyway, why is it unreasonable for us to take the initiative? If we are led by the current atmosphere, it is obvious that our side’s morale will decline.

Therefore, it would be good to take the initiative and find out the enemy’s intentions.” Ayer also tilted his head and nodded slightly in agreement.

“If it’s just to probe, it might be quite effective. Since it’s a time when the superiority of each other’s power is not clear, it seems like the standard procedure to take the initiative and then establish additional measures to operate the troops agilely.” In general, the thoughts of the warrior division leaders were not much different from Ayer’s.

They were the group that had fought the most battles in the entire Infinite Realm and the Spirit Realm. They had more experience in various forms of combat than in times when there was no fighting. There was nothing more valuable than that in times like these.

In that respect, the views of the warrior division leaders had a weight that could not be easily ignored.

However, Romero remained unmoved. It was impossible to distinguish the hierarchy among the leaders of the Infinite Realm, but even so, there was a tacitly recognized position and importance among them that everyone acknowledged.

In that respect, Romero held the most influential position among them. If he did not yield and pushed his plan to the end, there was no one among them who could oppose him. Romero was not the type to forcefully impose his will. He calmly persuaded everyone as much as possible.

“In the current situation, we need to simplify things. There are only two forms of movement that Abaddon can take. Either he attacks or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t attack, there is no reason for us to take the initiative and strike them. We just need to wait.

I know what you are worried about. You are worried that Abaddon might be preparing a novel attack that we cannot handle, something we have not even imagined…

Of course, that is possible. Even in that case, it is advantageous to take a defensive stance in many ways. Our current camp is in a state where it cannot be easily broken by any kind of attack, and its weaknesses have been minimized. If we rashly take the initiative without any plan and suffer a counterattack, it will be truly uncontrollable.”

And decisively, the reason we must wait is that what we need more than anything right now is time. For whatever reason, the current situation is quite favorable for us.” Bassorom, who rarely voiced his opinion in such public meetings, cautiously opened his mouth.

“I would like you to clearly address the question about that very point. Why is time what we need? There must be a good reason why Romero is so insistent on this. I am curious about that reason. What will be the turning point to reverse the unfavorable war situation?

The celestial realm and the immortal realm alone are not enough to stop the demon realm. We must lend our strength. To do that, shouldn’t we annihilate Abaddon early?” Romero stated firmly.

“Abaddon is not that weak. No, he is stronger than we anticipated. Even if we defeat Abaddon with our current forces, we will not have much strength left afterward.

Even if that power is added to the forces of the immortal and celestial realms, it will be far from enough to stop the demon realm. We must maintain our current strength as much as possible with minimal losses. Only then can we hope for victory.” “What if the celestial and immortal realms are breached before that? Wouldn’t that be the worst-case scenario?” Bengal pointed out. Romero shook his head.

“Even if that happens, there is nothing we can do. We can only hope that their capabilities will hold off the demon realm to some extent. Our strategy can only be discussed under that premise. If that doesn’t work… this battle cannot be won from the start. We have no choice but to surrender…” Romero’s face showed deep concern. That was exactly what he was worried about.

If Abaddon and the Infinite Realm are evenly matched, then the allied forces of the demon realm, the immortal realm, and the celestial realm should not collapse at once, even if they are not as strong. No, they must hold out until the Infinite Realm seizes the opportune moment and easily defeats Abaddon.

If they cannot even do that, hoping for victory in this battle would be foolish. In the worst-case scenario, as Bengal pointed out, the Infinite Realm would have to prepare for annihilation, let alone maintain its forces.

If such a thing actually happened, Romero would immediately move Harun’s forces to Meden. And he would choose to survive for the last chance.

The commanders of the warrior corps, the leaders of the seven tribes, and the practitioners of Meden are gathered in one place. They are the leaders who occupy the pinnacle of the Infinite Realm’s power. The impact of their decisions on the upcoming Great War of the Spirit Realm is so significant that even a moment’s mistake or misjudgment could lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, they had no choice but to be extremely cautious.

At that very moment, the three Hagios [a high-ranking demon], the leaders of Abaddon, were also gathered in one place.

Inside the inner chamber, thick curtains were drawn, and the three of them sat in a circle in front of it.

The main figures of the war murals that adorned the interior of Meteus’s western tower.

They were gathered in one place. The three commanders of Abaddon, Uranus, Pneuma, and Eretz, the Hagios. The three main figures leading Abaddon, who were confronting the forces of the Infinite Realm, had convened.

As depicted in the murals, they actually had four arms each. They had massive physiques and fierce faces, and overall, they possessed an aura that could be called the epitome of darkness. No other special features could be found to distinguish them from each other.

One of them opened his mouth, and his voice was very hoarse and rough. It was like a heavy vibration emanating from the depths of the earth.

“O Lord of the Demonic Spirit, please withdraw your command.” It was very slow, but clear and powerful. He was using honorifics, but he did not give the impression that he revered or feared his opponent. From behind the curtain, a soft but firm voice dismissed the Hagios’s suggestion.

“Do as you are told. Do not question my orders, Hagios.” Another Hagios spoke. His voice revealed a considerable displeasure.

“You are clearly our commander right now, but… you should not treat us like this. We are not your servants. Do you truly not know that someone like you cannot be our master?” The Lord of the Demonic Spirit was silent for a moment. He knew that the Hagios were not easy to handle. He could have subdued them by force, but it would not have been beneficial.

He also knew that he would have to take a considerable risk, and decisively, those whom the Hagios truly served would not like it.

‘They are not easy to deal with. But as long as I am clearly the Lord of the Demonic Spirit… your master cannot treat me carelessly. Moreover, they and I are still bound by considerable common interests.’ The Hagios said.

“Abaddon will not retreat. Abaddon will not be defeated. Abaddon…” “Enough.” The Lord of the Demonic Spirit cut off the Hagios’s words in the middle. And he gave an order in a very firm tone.

“Do not forget that I am the Lord of the Demonic Spirit. Until this war is over, I am your superior and the sole decision-maker. It is your free will to refuse this, but do not forget one thing. What your master will think.” The Hagios could no longer object. The Lord of the Demonic Spirit skillfully used the turmoil in their hearts, like riding a wave.

“The operation of forces is my unique authority. You just need to faithfully carry out my instructions. Do not ask for the reason. There is a good reason for it.” “I cannot understand. If we put the invincible Gorgons [monstrous female creatures with snakes for hair] and the demon gods at the forefront, it may not be easy, but victory is certain, so why?” “I said, enough.” The Lord of the Demonic Spirit’s voice stirred the curtain greatly.

“Do I have to explain my intentions to you one by one and seek your understanding? Abaddon will not be defeated? What a pathetic thing to say… If I had not been here, if I had not prepared the demon gods and summoned the Gorgons, would you have dared to express such confidence?

I will say it again. Except for the Eretz forces, all of the Uranus and Pneuma forces above the 4th class Daimonion [a type of demon], all the demon gods we currently possess, and the Gorgons, you will go to the place I instruct and wait. As secretly as possible… if possible, without the Infinite Realm noticing.

And you can ignore the opponents. You do not need to know the reason, and you should not know it.”

With those words, no more words flowed from the Lord of the Demonic Spirit. He had already left this place. The remaining Hagios suppressed the turmoil in their hearts and let out a painful groan.

“Something is wrong. Our war is a holy war. It should not be like this. The war must be honorable to prove our existence.” “He is arrogant. He is despicable. That is why he is strong. There is no choice. We have no choice but to obey his orders now.” The last Hagios stood up abruptly.

“But I will make him remember today’s treatment of us in the future.” They were consoling their miserable feelings with these few words.

The seven legions of the demon realm generally possess similar forces. Although there may be differences in the abilities of the leaders, the great demon gods, there was no significant difference in the abilities of the Asuras [powerful demons] and Rakshasa [another type of demon] demons.

In fact, when looking at the organization, the core force of the demon realm was not the seven legions but the central army, the Demon Emperor’s army. This army, composed only of Asuras and demon warriors, was the true representative of the demon realm.

In particular, the power of the demon warrior corps, which the demon realm had painstakingly cultivated for a long time, was so great that the demon realm’s leaders could be proud of it. However, the true power of the demon realm was the great demon gods and Lucifer, the leadership of the demon realm.

Vali, he was strong indeed. Having witnessed the annihilation of the vanguard, he was so enraged that his eyes turned inside out, and he unleashed his full power without any reduction.

Even the combined power of a hundred of the Four Heavenly Kings’ forces could not slow his advance. The 500 elite troops led by Jiseon fell like autumn leaves, so futilely.

“I will kill all who resist, all of them! Even if you are not living beings, you are still humans! The sin of challenging a great demon god with the power of insignificant humans can only be atoned for with death. Hahahaha.” His attack far exceeded the limits of power that the spirits had ever imagined. The surviving forces of the Four Heavenly Kings and Jiseon’s vanguard retreated hastily.

It was an unexpected shock for the celestial and immortal realms. It had been proven that they could sufficiently stop the Asuras and Rakshasas. However, Vali, the great demon god, had to be excluded from that. Because of him alone, the battle lines had collapsed, and the solid defensive wall had crumbled.

Dharmapala, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, stood in front of Vali. Gripping a bizarre spear in the shape of a writhing lightning bolt, he fearlessly jumped into Vali’s attack range.

Vali could not take his opponent lightly, sensing that immense power was contained in his seemingly casual hand movements.

With a tingling shock that seemed to paralyze his entire body for a moment, Dharmapala quickly inhaled.

‘I cannot be pushed back here. I, one of the Four Heavenly Kings… I cannot succumb to a great demon god so futilely…’ His last bit of pride was ignited.

“I gather the power of thunder and lightning that exists in heaven and earth into one.” Dharmapala bit his lip and tried to concentrate. The fierce energy swirling around him was extraordinary. Vali, who was staring at it, sneered as if it were ridiculous.

“Do you think you can stop me with that kind of power? I will show you something new.” Vali’s two hands came close together and then moved apart. He quickly drew a circle with his palms facing down. He stretched out his arms with all his might and gathered them above his head. Something was bubbling between his palms.

“Hehehe, you can probably block this much, right?” It was a mocking tone. At that moment, Dharmapala let out a desperate cry.

“Go.” A powerful gust of wind swept around the spear. The energy of thunder and lightning was condensed in that energy. Then, as if waiting for that moment, Vali pushed his hand forward.

Innumerable crimson bubbles, as if filled with blood, bubbled and quickly filled the entire front. Two completely different types of energy met.

Compared to Dharmapala, whose face was distorted, Vali’s face was extremely calm and full of composure. Those who were watching expected a huge explosion. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the situation unfolded in a completely different way.

The power that Dharmapala had unleashed could no longer advance, and after faltering, it stopped in one place and lost its power. The blood-colored bubbles gently enveloped Dharmapala’s formidable power and gradually began to erode it. It was an unexpected situation. A triumphant smile crossed Vali’s face.

“I knew it. Compared to us, who have made great efforts to dominate you under our feet, you have not developed at all during that time. So, there is no reason to be dissatisfied with today’s result.” Dharmapala, to the sneering Vali, uttered a voice full of anger.

“Shut up. Just because you have gained a temporary advantage… do not jump to the conclusion that you have defeated me.” The point of contact between the two forces was gradually getting closer to Dharmapala.

“You are even worse than that Buntval from the old Infinite Realm or Karavan, the strongest of the giants. Dharmapala, the heavenly lord of the celestial realm, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Hahahaha.” Despite Vali’s mockery, Dharmapala could not shut his mouth. He had to endure unbearable humiliation.

Those who were observing the scene from afar were also speechless at the unexpected result. Of course, they had expected the great demon god to have a slight advantage, but the situation that was unfolding now was too different.

Great Heavenly Lord Jeseok, who was watching the situation from the headquarters of the main camp, lamented.

“As that man said… have we been complacent all this time? While the demon realm has been growing stronger… we… that’s right. That’s what happened.” It was a miserable feeling. Of course, Dharmapala’s skills cannot be said to be the best in the celestial realm. Among the heavenly lords of the 33 heavens, there were many who were stronger than him, and there were also those who were overwhelmingly strong.

Also, he knew that there were two heavenly lords among the lower-ranking heavenly lords who were particularly strong. Strong individuals comparable to Buntval or Karavan, whom Vali had mentioned.

The power struggle between the two gradually became more intense.

“Hah!” Dharmapala exerted all his strength, and his whole body emitted light and transformed. The spear was no longer visible in his hand. He soared straight into the sky. Vali twisted his lips and let out a strange laugh.

“Hehe, that’s good too.” Vali’s long, glossy black hair writhed at his feet. Vali stood still in his place and watched what Dharmapala was doing. He had a very contemptuous expression.

While Vali and Dharmapala were engaged in a one-on-one battle, the advance of the Asuras and Rakshasas was temporarily halted. The same was true for the allied forces.

Herpa, the commander-in-chief of the demon realm, was accompanied by Raag, Herem, Lanet, and Britra, one of the great demon gods. Britra muttered softly.

“It seems like a mistake to have put Vali at the forefront… what do you think?” It was a question for Herpa.

Britra thought that Vali was doing useless things. He seemed to be only interested in his own battles and did not seem to care about commanding and leading the army.

Moreover, he did not like the fact that he was doing things as he pleased, regardless of the commander’s orders. Herpa smiled.

“It might be a good thing. The enemies will be greatly demoralized after seeing Dharmapala’s defeat. If they feel a significant gap not only in the overall forces but also in the battles between the leaders, there will not be many options for them to choose.” “Do you think they will surrender easily?” “I don’t think so. They will probably resist stubbornly. But in the end, they will have no choice but to surrender.” “Really… is that so? Humans, whether they are living beings or spirits, all have an incomprehensible stubbornness. Come to think of it, we also had such a name in the past, huhuhuhu.” Herpa avoided answering and focused his attention on the battle between Vali and Dharmapala that was taking place in the distance.

He gave instructions to the great demon god Chandra in the spirit language. Chandra’s position was right behind Vali’s army.

“Please prepare to advance soon. Regardless of the outcome of the battle between Vali and Dharmapala… please resume the attack.” “Understood.” Britra asked.

“It would be helpful in many ways if we used the forces of the demon realm that have joined us.” “I plan to deploy them soon.” Britra tried to understand Herpa’s true intentions.

“Just one question. Is the reason you are not putting all your forces at once to induce their surrender, or is there another reason?” Herpa kept his mouth shut and only managed to utter one word.

“It is because I judge that the enemy is not strong enough. Also, there is a reason why we must maintain 80% of our forces in any case. Right now, it is just a test. To objectively evaluate the forces of the opponent and our side.” “You are also keeping the forces of Abaddon or the Emperor in mind, aren’t you?” “It is not a certainty.” His intention was clear. He was defining all the forces of the spirit realm as enemies and operating the forces of the demon realm based on that judgment. It also meant that he had plenty of power to spare.

The battle between Vali and Dharmapala was progressing rapidly. However, if you looked closely, it was only Dharmapala who was pushing hard, while Vali was not very active.

He was maintaining a rather passive defense without exerting his full power, and he was enjoying himself by occasionally mocking Dharmapala.

“Haha, this is very disappointing. I cannot understand that the true nature of the heavenly lords of the celestial realm is this much.” Dharmapala did not respond. Instead, he was truly exerting all his strength. Colorful energies were emanating around him, and according to his gestures, those energies surrounded Vali.

He tried to find Vali’s weakness by changing his position several times, but it was all in vain.

‘That guy is really… like a huge iron wall. A solid iron wall that cannot be broken no matter how much I hit it. I… am so powerless.’ He was getting tired. The loss of confidence that he could not overcome the enemy rapidly weakened his power. It was also the most fatal state for a warrior engaged in battle.

At this time, the other three of the Four Heavenly Kings were discussing their opinions.

“Are you going to just watch like this?” The second of the Four Heavenly Kings, Virudhaka, asked Virupaksha for his opinion.

Virupaksha was in a difficult situation. It was clear that Dharmapala was no match for Vali. However, if one of them intervened, it would crush his pride, and it would be better to watch without helping him.

“What can we do? Until Dharmapala asks for help first… we have no choice but to watch.” At this time, Vaisravana suggested.

“But it is not that there is no way to help.” “What do you mean?” “I will lead the Heavenly King’s forces and attack Vali’s army. Then the immortal realm will also start attacking, and Vali will not be able to afford to be as relaxed as he is now. In that gap, if we seize the opportunity and naturally join Dharmapala…” It was a plausible suggestion. Virupaksha readily agreed.

“Execute it immediately.” They were also acting independently without the permission of the headquarters, which was no different from Vali.

Virudhaka’s Heavenly King’s forces attacked the demon army lurking behind Vali.

It was such a sudden move. Then, Jiseon and Jeongseon (靜仙) [a type of immortal], who were relatively close, also joined the battle in confusion. It was a melee. Even in the midst of that, Vali was only focused on fighting Dharmapala, which was truly absurd.

Herpa immediately issued an attack order to Chandra. It was again turning into a full-scale war, but even in the midst of that, Vali was stubbornly focused only on his fight with Dharmapala.

A new front, to Harun!

Noul, who had thought it was an honor to join the vanguard, was suffering from quite serious aftereffects these days.

The feeling he had at the time when he had to turn away from Pachaen was an indescribable misery. He had never been so ashamed of his own weakness as he was then.

Most of the members who had formed the vanguard were now back in Harun and were still gathered together. This measure was due to the special consideration of the leadership, arranged by Ananda. Noul did not return to the immortal realm camp, which was facing the demon realm. The same was true for Gaksi and the other immortals who had been selected from the immortal realm, and the same was true for those from the celestial realm.

They were still insisting on being vanguard members, and their feelings had not changed until now. That alone was not enough. Not a single one of them thought that they were sufficient just by sharing those feelings.

“We have nothing to do here either.” Noul said. After they were given accommodations, they were aimlessly pushed in and huddled together. They were clustered here and there, making listless expressions, somehow detached from the tense situation in Harun.

Of course, not all the vanguard members were in such a situation. Among the initial members, Ananda, not to mention Arena, was being treated with considerable importance, and Angshangte was playing an invaluable role in smoothly resolving minor emotional disputes that were common among warriors.

Even Donatus, who had been stripped of his qualifications as a practitioner, and Braham and Pedro, who were the object of aversion for the Infinite Realm spirits, were implicitly recognized as being in a considerable position.

Kairos, Perikan, Vulcan, and Morgan were already well-known figures, so there was no need to elaborate. The problem lay with the initial vanguard members who had been summoned from the Immortal and Celestial Realms from the start. Even if they returned to their respective realms, they wouldn’t actually be placed in the main forces. Gaksi echoed Noul’s words.

“It’s a blessing that we’re so carefree during these chaotic times.” Then, Mago casually tossed out a remark with a slightly sarcastic tone.

“A blessing? More like a result of incompetence.” Helplessness. That was it. The vanguard members were insignificant figures who were not welcomed anywhere! The despair that filled their hearts was precisely that.

They were pathetic, their desire to fight ignored because they lacked power. Since there was nothing to be gained from being pessimistic, they silently accepted reality. Noul spoke.

“Still, we are the vanguard.” Chandamana’s reaction was lukewarm.

“So?”
“Instead of just waiting for Pacheon to return, let’s do what we can in our current positions.” Mago intervened in their conversation.

“What? How?”
“Well… I don’t know the specific method either.” Donatus, who had been stripped of his title, chuckled, welcoming their small change.

“There are many ways if you look for them. There’s plenty to do if you just go outside. You guys should have been like this sooner.” Gunter chimed in.

“Indeed, indeed. In fact, there aren’t many people as famous as you in Harun. We are the vanguard. Just by the vanguard taking the initiative to encourage the warriors and lend even a bit of strength, it will be a great inspiration to them.” It was a somewhat absurd expectation, not without a sense of exaggeration.

“Do you really think so?” Donatus cleared his throat at Gaksi’s naive reaction.

Gunter’s words were too sentimental, completely disregarding reality. He had casually thrown out the words because he felt sorry for their dejected state, but now even Donatus couldn’t salvage the situation.

Encouraged by Gunter’s words, the vanguard members left their lodgings. They were truly ready to do anything, willing to lend even a small amount of strength. No matter how insignificant it was, they didn’t care.

However, reality was far from that. They looked around, but there was no space left for them anywhere. Some even showed signs of annoyance.

“I have not received such orders,” one of the Rommel warrior squad leaders said coldly, causing Noul to hesitate in confusion.

“Unless there is an official notification, I cannot assign you to a unit at my discretion.”

“Yes.” Noul barely managed to reply in a subdued voice and turned around. One of the passing warriors cast a displeased glance and casually threw out a remark.

“Aren’t those the vanguard members? Why are they loitering around here?”
“They must have come out for some fresh air since they have nothing to do.”
“They’re living the high life. I don’t know why the Sanbu [a high-ranking administrative body] is treating them like honored guests.” They whispered among themselves, but all the vanguard members heard it.

Donatus, who had worriedly followed them, grimaced. The current situation, which was worse than doing nothing, felt like it was his fault.

The vanguard members were already disheartened. While some capable vanguard members were fulfilling their roles in important positions in Harun, many others were not. It was more accurate to say they were treated like unwanted guests.

Realizing this, the members felt an intense desire to run away from Harun immediately after hearing those words.

“Let’s… go.” Irene wore a nonchalant expression, as if it were obvious and not a big deal.

He had also heard the casual remarks from the passing warriors. The members turned away with forlorn expressions.

Can darkness and light be said to be completely separate? Mostly, yes. Darkness does not approach the realm of light; it usually retreats. However, the place Pacheon was approaching now completely defied such common sense. Darkness, which should only secure its territory in the blind spots where light cannot reach, was boldly coexisting with light.

The coexistence of light and darkness! This bizarre phenomenon perplexed Pacheon.

The massive tower, stretching vertically, had four prominent pillars surrounding it, centered on its pointed apex. Each pillar had a large bead of blue, red, white, and purple embedded in it, and below, the pillars, which seemed to depict the form of a dragon, exuded a majestic weight that was as overwhelming as their massive size.

Pacheon stood before it, looking up at the tower. Around the tower, light and darkness rippled, teasing each other. Pacheon repeatedly expressed his admiration at the strange sight.

At the spire, there was a bizarre creature carved that Pacheon had never seen before.

“It has the wings of an eagle, the head of a snake, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. What is this tower?” The guardian answered Pacheon’s murmur.

“The Tower of Betrayal.”
“The Tower of Betrayal?” Pacheon tilted his head. He couldn’t immediately understand what the tower’s name meant.

“It is one of the gateways in the intermediate realm that the Completes [beings who have achieved a high level of spiritual attainment] must pass through. It has nothing to do with you, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Hmm… is that so? Well… I don’t intend to become a Complete anyway… But why does it have such a name?”
“This tower symbolizes destruction and punishment among the attributes of God. For some reason, some of the Completes gave up everything here. It wasn’t frequent… but they wept loudly here for a long time and laughed madly before returning the way they came.”
“……” They voluntarily flowed into a secret dimension excluded from God’s rule and have not returned since. Since then, the angels have called this place the Tower of Betrayal.

“The Tower of Betrayal… Of course, it must be a betrayal against God, right? It’s a strange thing. Why would those who had reached the ranks of the Completes make such a choice at the last moment? What did they see here that made them voluntarily enter a secret dimension abandoned even by God?” Pacheon’s eyes gleamed with intense curiosity.

The guardian tried to divert Pacheon’s attention with a calm voice.

“Let’s go. This place is not connected to you. We cannot waste time in such a place.” Pacheon turned his head several times to look back as he left. It was when the spire was no longer visible in Pacheon’s sight. The bizarre creature on the spire suddenly opened its eyes. It turned its head slightly, emitting a bright blue light, in the direction where Pacheon had disappeared.

The creature’s mouth opened wide. A dark current of darkness surged out, and an eerie voice flowed out from within.

“The time has come. The time to make new contracts has arrived. Will God be able to achieve victory this time as well? Everything depends on the humans. As long as they doubt God, the demons can easily become the masters of chaos. That is better for me, hehehehe….”

A welcome guest joined the Infinite Realm camp. It was Daedeok, one of the Seven Stars of the Ghost Realm. She was once Jeokrua, the wife of the Heavenly Demon in the human world.

She had recovered her position as the Seven Stars Daedeok and joined the Infinite Realm. She came to Harun alone, without bringing anyone with her. It had been a long time since the Ghost Realm openly sided with the Demon Realm, and it was common knowledge that they were in cahoots.

With her appearance in Harun, the Infinite Realm had to accept the emergence of the troublesome enemy, the Ghost Realm, as a reality.

Daedeok had a brief meeting with the leaders of the Infinite Realm and then headed straight to where the vanguard members were gathered. The spirits of the Ghost Realm do not have physical bodies. However, the Seven Stars are different. They possessed spiritual power and mysterious abilities that were incomparably superior to ordinary spirits, and they were recognized as powerful beings on a different level from the demonic power of the Demon Realm or the prismal fluctuations of the spirits.

When Jeokrua arrived at the place where the vanguard members were, her face lit up. A light of joy, more than the joy of meeting Ananda, Kairos, and Perikan, and So-gun again, radiated from her. A sublime light. A mysterious energy that could only be described as such filled everyone with a strange emotion.

Daedeok opened her mouth.

“I have finally met you all.” She had found this place on her own without anyone’s guidance. It happened to be a place where Kairos and others were also present, so a joyful reunion took place between them.

Daedeok said,

“It feels like there is light shining here.” Irene chuckled and let out a self-deprecating tone.

“Light…” ‘It must be the light of despair.’ She couldn’t bring herself to say those words.

“No, it’s not. It’s a very bright light. Yes, this is the light of hope. Because of your presence, the spirit realm will be safe.” What kind of nonsense was this?

Irene was surprised in another sense. It was just her own thought, but Daedeok had answered it, hadn’t she? However, that surprise was also hers alone.

Ananda led Daedeok to a seat and asked about the situation in the Ghost Realm.

“It was their choice, so there was nothing we could do. I earnestly asked them to turn back, but they had already stepped into the mire. And they said that path would be sweeter. There’s nothing we can do. If it’s already decided, we have to accept it.” It was said that Daedeok was the most enigmatic of the Seven Stars. She had declared that she would become an enemy by taking the opposite side, yet she had escaped unharmed, and no one had stopped her. She said that she had met Lucifer before coming here and had come after observing the war situation.

‘How could she do that….’ That was everyone’s thought. The Seven Stars Daedeok seemed detached from everything.

She possessed the most outstanding foresight among the Seven Stars. That was true even across different dimensions. For that reason, not a single word from her should be taken lightly.

When she was in the human world, she had also made a prophecy about Pacheon.

She had said something incomprehensible about his existence, and that he would lose three great things and gain three great things in the future.

‘What has Master lost and gained so far? And if there is something else to lose and gain in the future, what would it be?’ So-gun’s thoughts could not continue. Daedeok had spoken again.

“Their power is strong, and the Immortal and Celestial Realms are no match for them. However, they also have considerable potential. The most amicable outcome will occur.” Ananda asked urgently.

“What is an amicable outcome?”
“Romero also asked that.” Daedeok smiled gently.

“It will happen according to the natural order. Even those who seek to destroy order must follow the order within it until they completely overcome it. Those who sow will reap. The danger seems great right now, but unless the Demon Realm conquers Harun and Meden at the same time, they will not easily achieve the desired result.

And the undercurrents are also diverse within themselves, so they seem to be experiencing difficulties because of that.” She did not easily conclude and explain. Daedeok only wore a mysterious smile. Ananda had an expression as if he understood something. He asked about Pacheon.

“Will Pacheon be able to obtain enlightenment?”
“How wonderful it would be if I could know that? What I foresee is based on the life force and the light flow above it.

Enlightenment is an unpermitted realm that cannot be known even through the light flow. How can I, with my limited abilities, dare to speak of it? But…”
“…?”
“I can say one thing for sure. He seems to be finding his true self.” Daedeok concluded with an ambiguous guess.

She briefly mentioned the current war situation between the Demon Realm and the Celestial and Immortal Realm allied forces. The Celestial Realm had initially gained momentum by unexpectedly taking the lead, but they were gradually being pushed back as they could not overcome the fundamental difference in power.

Fortunately, the Celestial and Immortal Realms were operating their forces with a long-term war in mind, so it did not seem like they would collapse in a short period. They were avoiding full-scale clashes to minimize damage and were guiding the war into localized battles. If there was a concern about the loss of forces, they would retreat and replace them with new forces from the rear.

What was fortunate and surprising was that the Demon Realm was also responding as if they had wanted this result, without deploying more than 30% of their total forces.

In any case, the allied forces were gradually being pushed back, and it was clear that they had reached a point where they had to make a decision in some way.

“I believe they should make a decision before the defeat becomes more pronounced. That is the only way to maintain even the current forces.” Ananda asked.

“What kind of conclusion do you think they will reach?”
“The spirit realm can only be one. Since the Infinite Realm has become the battlefield, it is natural to join the Infinite Realm camp, which is familiar with the situation here.” Daedeok was definitively predicting that the Celestial and Immortal Realms would eventually join Harun.

Ananda considered the situation afterward. He was objectively analyzing whether it would be beneficial or detrimental for the Immortal and Celestial Realms to join the Infinite Realm camp in the current situation. Ananda shook his head inwardly.

‘It’s not good. Gathering forces into one may seem like a wise move on the surface, but in reality, it becomes clearer because external enemies also have a single goal. Moreover, when there is more than one enemy, as is the case now, there is also the concern of a pincer attack.

I don’t know. Is it really a good thing to do?’
“The longer their hesitation, the greater the losses.”

Daedeok’s words and the war situation were too well-matched.

Even though the Demon Realm had only deployed two legions out of the seven legions and 2,000 elite Asuras [powerful demonic warriors] from the central army, the situation was rapidly taking shape.

The Immortal Realm’s forces led by the 8 Seons [powerful immortal beings] and all of the Celestial Realm’s Demon God Corps were barely holding the line, and the Heavenly King Corps was providing support in the defensive battle areas to balance the power.

Even so, they were gradually being pushed toward the central region of the Infinite Realm, which was truly a pathetic situation. Once the war began and escalated into large-scale battles, the situation was completely different from what had been predicted. In fact, even the Demon Realm had not imagined that they would show such a level of superiority, so the psychological shock that the Celestial and Immortal Realms received was quite significant.

The allied forces tried to minimize the contact points of the front lines, but it was in vain. The Demon Realm’s 2nd Legion alone numbered over 20,000. In the end, whenever they faced the front and flanks, Seok and No-gun had to order a gradual retreat. Seok and No-gun were no longer in a position to be complacent. They were working hard to command from the rear. No one had anticipated that the numerical disadvantage would lead to such a devastating result.

With 70,000 troops from the Demon Realm’s 7 legions, 30,000 troops from the Demon Emperor’s central army, and 10,000 spirits from the Ghost Realm, it was absurd to think that the 8,000 or so troops from the Celestial and Immortal Realms could hold them back. The only thing they had hoped for was the superior individual skills of their soldiers.

However, even that was not as significant as they had expected. Moreover, it was confirmed that even the Celestial Lords of the Celestial Realm, who had been highly anticipated, were not comparable to the Great Demon Gods.

Furthermore, the Demon Realm had not yet deployed 5 of the 7 legions and the Demon Emperor’s central army.

In a situation with such a difference in power, strategy and tactics were useless.

Taeseon, one of the 8 Seons of the Immortal Realm, came to the headquarters in No-gun and urgently reported the war situation. “At this rate… it’s hopeless.” So what are we supposed to do? That was clearly No-gun’s expression.

“Do you have any other brilliant ideas?” Everyone was in a panic. The leadership, which should be establishing countermeasures and presenting breakthroughs, and the generals and captains who were deployed to the front lines to command the troops were all the same.

Four of the 8 Seons and 17 of the 33 Celestial Lords were directly participating in the front lines, and it was accurate to say that they were barely holding on because of them. There were 25,000 troops from the Demon Realm and the allied forces swarming the current front lines.

“……” They ask for a brilliant idea. Taeseon was silent. There was no way there would be one.

“They are in this state even though they have only deployed two out of ten… There is no other way.”

If the remaining eight were deployed, how many would survive?

Chungseon, who was standing next to No-gun, suggested.

“The only way is to directly target the Great Demon Gods Bali and Chandra. When the battle subsides for a moment, we should maximize the distance between our main camp and the enemies.”
“And then?”
“We must order a retreat. We must acknowledge reality. We are outnumbered. If we continue like this, we will be toyed with and annihilated. If that prediction is certain, there is no reason to hesitate any longer.”
“Where do you propose we retreat to? They won’t let us go, and even if they did, where would we hide? We have no choice but to fight to the end. We must fight to the last man, prepared for total annihilation.”
“That is not true. We must not abandon hope until the very last moment. The place we must go is… Harun.”
“Harun?”
“Hmm.”
“Could it be?” Those who had been listening to Chungseon’s words showed their bewilderment.

“That’s right. It is Harun, where the main force of the Infinite Realm is located. We must join forces with them.

Fortunately…?”